Spark plug



C. M. TANSILL March 13, 1928.

SPARK PLUG Filed July 23 192s ATTOR N EY Patented Mar. 13, 1,928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

CHARLES M. TANSILL, OF WOODLAVTN, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 CHARLES E. NOLTE AND ONE-THIRD T WALTER E. WINDSOR, BOTH OF BALTI- MORE, MARYLAND.

SPARK PLUG.

Application led July 23,

This invention relates to spark plugs and its primary object is to provide a spark plug which includes means for admittlng air to be heated within theI plug so that the heated air can be introduced in the cylinder' with which the plug is associated, and thereby reduce the consumption of fuel.

-A further object of the invention is Vto provide a manually operated means for controllin and regulating the admission of airV to a p urality of spark plugs equipped with air admittin means.

Another o ject ofthe invention is to provide a spark plug which includes an intensier for providing a maximum spark for said P Ag still further object is to provide a spark plug having a heat proof glass core formed 1n part with a sleeve` to house the worklng parts of said plug and so that they may be observed.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several 5 parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and s eciically pointed out in the appended c aims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and 1n which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view -taken through the spark plug forming the subject matter of the present invention and illustrating the means for controlling the admission of air passing through the plug, arranged to allow the maximum amount of 40 air to pass therethrough.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the air regulating means arranged to allow a minimum amount of airl to pass through the plug.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the central electrode of the plug.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the regulator for the valve which controls the admission of air through the plug.

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing my novel plugs arranged in operative posltion in a four cylinder engine with the means .is threadedly secured to said main electrode 1926. Serial No. 124,482. o

for controlling the air to the plugs arranged for operation in unison.

Referring to the drawings in detail the numeral4 1 indicates a shell for the plug which forms the subject matter of the present invention and which is reduced and threaded as at 2 4so as to be secured in the usual spark plug opening of'an engine.

The core 4 is held associated within the shell through the instrumentality of the usual binding nut 5 and gaskets 6 provide y'a leak proof connection between the shell, body of the core and the binding nut.

The core is formed from Pyrex or other similar material and includes a housing 7 rising from the body of the core 4 and centrally arranged within said housing and disposed in parallelism therewith is a sleeve 8l through which passes the main electrode 9 for slidable movement therein. The main electrode is threaded for a portion of its length andthreadedly secured thereto is a flat elongated strip 3 having right-angle disposed upturned ends. The strip 3 is secured in adjusted position upon the main electrode 9 by a lock nut as clearly shown. in Figure 1 ofthe drawings, and it will be apparent'that, the said strip can be expedif tiously and adequately adjusted vertically upon said electrode 9 to position the upturned ends with respect to the shell so'as to provide .perfect spark gaps upon diametrically opposite sides of the lower edge of the Shell.

The body 4 has formed in its lower end a recess 10 which is provided with al `conical shaped portion communicating with a bore through which passes the main electrode 9 and a liningll 1s arranged in said bore and the conical shaped portion of the recess which provides a seat for the valve 12 which at the juncture of the reduced portion 13 formed thereon.' 'Inclined openings 14 are formed in the core and sleeve 8 respectively at the juncture ythereof with the core and these openings provide for the ingress of air to the valve chamber and thence to the cylinder as will be readilyapparent.

A cap 15 is provided for the top of the housing 7 and said cap is formed with an annular recess to accommodate the upzper edge of said housingA as best shownin ure 1 of the drawings. The cap is further provided with a centrally disposed opening to accommodate the passage of the central electrode 9 and a plurality of openings 16 surrounding said central opening to allow air to be introduced in the housing.

The means for heating the air includes a coil 17 surrounding the sleeve 8 and has its upper end secured to a terminal bolt 18 while its lower end is fixed iny the core as clearly shown in Figure l of the drawings. The terminal bolt is provided with the usual binding nut lfor securing a conduit thereto from a suitable source of current. Approximately disposed opposite the terminal bolt 18 is an intensifier' 19 arrange-d in spaced rolation to the main electrode so as to provide maximum spark between the central electrode and the ground electrodes 3.

The movement of the central electrode is controlled by a cam regulator 20 which effects the tension of a coil spring 21 surrounding the upper end of the central electrode and which has its end convolutions engaging the innermost of the adjusting nuts 22 and a washer 23. The regulator is formed with a pair of fiat surfaces 24 and 25 and an inclined surface 26 and it will be obvious that when the regulator is moved so that the washer 23 engages the surfaces 25, the spring 21 is put under its greatest compression and therefore the movement of the central electrode is restricted so as to reduce the quantity of air passing between the valve 12 and its seat, but when the regulator is moved in the position as illustrated in Figure 1, the electrode 9 is allowed its fullest'movement with the result the maximum quantity of air is passe-d through the spark plug.

As shown in Figure 6, the regulator for the admission of air passing through the spark plugs are moved in unison through the instrumentality of a rod 27 and` each of the regulators are provided with a bored member 28 through which the rod passes and is held therein by a screw 29. While only a four cylinder engine is suggested inl Figure 6 of the dra-wings, it will be obvious that the rod can be associated with six spark plugs or eight, it depending upon the number of cylinders employed in the engine.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawings, it will be obvious that the spark plug Awhich forms the subject matter of the present invent-i i not only admits air to the cylinders on the intake stroke of the pistons thereof, but the .air is heated by the coil 17 and the amount of lair passing through the'plug is controlled by the regulator 20 which controls the compression of.

the spring 21 in the manner as suggested in Figures 1 and 2. llt is obvious that when the engine is laboring, it is desirable to out down on the supply of air passing through the spark plug, but when the engine is accelerating a quantity of air passing through the plug may be increased and thereby materially economize on. the consum tion of fuel. Again, the intensifier provi es maximum sparking qualities for the electrodes, and therefore cooperates in the reduction of fuel consumption. By employing the Pyrex core and housing, the operation of the respect-ive parts may be readily observed and therefore it may be ascertained whether or not the plug is working properly to perform its intended function.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invent-ion will be readily apparent.

l desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

n1. A spark plug of the character described comprising a shell, a core including a housing and secured therein, a sleeve included in said core and rising therefrom, an electrode mounted for movement in said sleeve, core and shell, acap for said housing and being provided with openings for admitting air within said housing, means carried by said electrode for controlling the air passing through said core, compression means for said last mentioned means and including a coil spring surrounding said electrode, adjusting means for said spring and receiving one of the end convolutions thereof, a washer receiving the opposite end convolution thereof, cam means movable on said electrode and engageable with said washer for changing the compression of said spring for regulating movement of said electrode, whereby the air controlling means is regulated accordingly.

' 2. A spark plug of the character described comprising a transparent core, a housing included in said core, means for admitting air in said housing, a sleeve included in said housing, and means for heating said air and includingV an electrical coil surrounding the sleeve. a terminal receivingone end of said electrical coil, and the opposite end being grounded.

3. A spark plug of the character described comprising a shell, a core including a housing and secured .in said shell, a movable electrode passing through said housing, -a spring surrounding said electrode and holding the same under tension, a cap for said housing and being provided with openings for admitting air into said housing, said core -being providedwith air receiving openings, a valve carried by said central electrode for controlling the passage of air through said core, means for regulatin the movement of said valve through the me ium of said electrode and including a cam memthrough the core, and adjusta ber mounted for movement in a manner to adjust the compression of said s ring, and means secured to the lower portion of the electrode to providel sparkv gaps.

4. A spark plu of the .character described comprising a she l, a core including a housing and a sleeve disposed within said housing, a lcap for said housin a central electrode mounted for sli'dabe movement through said cap, sleeve, core and shell respectively, spring means for controlling the movement of said central electrode, means for regulating the compression of said spring and including a cam member mount-4 ed on said electrode-forslidable movement between said cap and spring means respectively, valve means carried by said ,central electrode for controlling the passage ofair le means carried by said electrode to provide ark aps ulpon opposite sides of the lower ge o the s ell. v

-mitting means therefor, o a regulator for each spark plug for controlling the air passing therethrou h and including a cam member lhavinga l surfaces, said cam, surfaces being arranged in different planes and u n opposite sides of said Hat surface andgbging adapted for adjusting the compression of the spring for the admltting means, and means for operating the regulators of each spark plug in unison. 1

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CHARLES M. TANS'ILL.

at surface and inclined cam` 

